The Grenada gazette., 1887-12-24
~
WOOD PRESERVATION.

oe"sATION.
'"''e synopsis Of an interests.
eminent Report sov'
In bulletin lately issuod f,
Forestry Division Of the nonsrlm.'hh., ,uum tn.
Of Agriculture occurs, lp"t'msnt alona ,.,1a
other valuable papers, thu g.. with
wood preservation by Henry r.S D,e o. on
Louis. Mo-. from which i. oaa oasu' IT.
the following: N'"u0nsed
The methods Of treatment most,
either simply or in combina,ion ,i'.ssa, ,se
each other. in the preservation ~ n WIN
are: Q.) Sleeping in water Nv "O9a ~
antiseptic solutions. az r,. I"
ing a current Of water a, no'e. 9.
antiseptic solution longitnd;n,no'l y, o.
through the ducts of the wood. asly ei,h!'
BY pressure or by suction-the ,as' Ros
cherie process. (s.) Steaminc 'a u
closed vessels (4) Removin1 ~, ~
and vapors from the cells BY cre,tina na
vacuum around the wood in q elossS
vessel and then injecting the s anti
septic solution into the wood bv ~ an
plying pressure to the solution, r
When wood is stepped in runn;rc
water its sap is diluted and gradual,
displaced. This is the cause NJ ~,
greater durability Of RATED lumber m 80
compared with that which has NJ, ~
been submerged in water. But fl.
process is necessarily slow, and II ths
water in which the wood is submerged
contains sediment, the process is i'm.
peded. Sleeping is also used for i'm.
pregnating wood with antiseptic 80.
lutions. To allow such solutions +,
enter the wood, the latter should tirs,
DO freed from water. either by air.dry.
ing or by exposing it to heated air in
kilns. Sleeping requires much time
(from one to two or three weeks) and
can never effect thorough impregna.
tion Of the wood.
The Boucherie process (2) has been
most extensively used in France and
to @ small extent in Austria and Ger
many. In England it has been applied
because nearly all the timber used
there is introduced from abroad. In
the United States it has been employed
in but few instances. Yet, its use in.
sures probably a more thorough i'm.
pregnation than any of the other
methods employed at present. 1t does
not injuriously affect the strength Of
the wood and requires comparatively
small outlay for plant. 1t team be start.
ed almost anywhere within a short
time. Its drawbacks are that it can
be carried on only during compare.
lively brief season; that it takes con.
siderable time. although less than the
sleeping process, and that it can not
be applied to square timber. :.
Steaming timber, If too lung vuntIn.
aed reduces its strength, and has some
unfavorable features The vacuum
process (D was patented in 1888 by
Barnett who prepared the timber for
receiving tho preserving fluid by plac.
ing it in closed vessel, and then
using an air-pump for removing the
sir and vapor from the cells of wood.
He next filled the vessel with an an
iseptic fluid, and applied pressure by
'ompressing the air above the solution.
!rom the use Of compressed air his
vas named the pneumatic process,
md it retained that name even after
he use of compressed air had been
bondoned. and the pressure was di.
ectly produced by pumps. This
'rocess, preceded by steaming and
acuum. is the one now almost uni.
ersally used.
Out Of tho great number Of sub
tances which during the Last sixty
ears have been proposed for preserv.
1g wood from decay. or rather for
rolonging its usefulness. only four
ave stood the test applied and are
ow used for that purpose. First,
eavy oil oftar (creosote oil. dead OILY;
'cond. bichloride of mercury (cor-
'sive sublimate); third, chloride Of
nc; fourth. sulphate Of copper.
rcosoiing appears TO Be the most ef-
ctive means Of preserving wood, the
ny obstacle to its universal intro
lction being the fact that it is more
'pensive than other systems of pres
walton. Creosoting works are es-
blished at Boston, New York, Pasca-
'ula, Miss; Lidell. La, and Bayou
'nfauca, on the New Orleans &
ortheastern railroad.
A new interest in the line Of wood
eserving processes has been added
the economical applications ofwood-
eosoto oil made from the Southern
ne. This wood.creosote oil is much
IS expensive and in some ways more
luble than the ordinary dead oil or
III tar creosote heretofore used for
en- purposes as the preservation OF
nbor IN T. World
A Railroad in the Artlc.